Dixon wins in IndyCar's return to Pocono

He had led just one lap all year and hadn't seen Victory Lane in nearly a year, but on Sunday Dixon's drought came to an end.

Dixon led the final 31 laps as hometown favorite Marco Andretti fell off the pace after being forced to save fuel, and Dixon went on to win the Pocono IndyCar 400 at Pocono Raceway.

It was the first IndyCar race since 1989 at Pocono, ending a 24-year absence at the 2.5-mile triangle.

It was a race where the Chip Ganassi and Honda drivers dominated at the end as Dixon, Charlie Kimball and Dario Franchitti swept the podium. It was Ganassi's first career sweep and the 200th IndyCar victory for Honda. Dixon's victory — the 30th of his career — vaulted him three positions into fourth place in points.

"I had a great race today," Dixon said. "We've got to go to these circuits, there's a great fan base here, very knowledgeable fans and for me, I don't know how the others feel, but the circuit is very challenging. It's very different and you have to be good in (Turns) 1 and 3."

Andretti looked like he had the car to beat.

He led the most laps (88), but on lap 121 the Nazareth native gave up the lead to Will Power. That was the last tim eAndretti would challenge for the lead.

"We were so dominant," Andretti said. "I'm just absolutely gutted."

He felt like he had the best car all day, but once fuel became an issue he had no choice but to give up the lead.

"I had to sit there and watch the lead go away," Andretti said. "It was ripping my guts out."

It was also a tough day for Triple Crown favorite Tony Kanaan, the Indianapolis 500 winner who was aiming for a $1 million bonus if he could win Sunday and again at Fontana. Kanaan damaged his front wing while passing Dixon on lap 107.

"I apologized to the crew several times," said Kanaan, who can still win $250,000 with a victory at Fontana in the season finale. "I made a mistake and it cost us big."

It was the best finish of the year for Kimball, who started 12th.

He said during practice on Thursday and Saturday that the team concentrated on the race car, prepping it for race conditions. It became apparent that the cars with the best fuel mileage were going to contend at the end.

"The guys made it better on each pit stop and the car just got quicker and quicker," Kimball said.

Kimball said when he first arrived at Pocono on Thursday he rode his scooter around the triangle to get a feel for the track.

"How long did that take?" Franchitti asked.

"I had to stop and refuel in Turn 2," Kimball shot back, smiling.

The two teammates had nothing for the third teammate in Dixon, who hasn't had much to cheer about this year.

He'd been stuck on 29 career wins — his last coming on Aug. 5, 2012 at Mid-Ohio.

Notes: Points leader Helio Castroneves finished eighth, while No. 2 in points Ryan Hunter-Reay was 20th "» It was an exceptionally hot day at Pocono as temperatures ranged between 122 and 137 degrees on the track. "» James Hinchcliffe had a short day, crashing in Turn 1 on the opening lap. "» Kimball recovered after missing his pit box on his first stop. "» Takuma Sato didn't make any friends with Hunter-Reay after running into the back of him on pit road, sending Hunter-Reay behind the wall with damage. "» The average speed of the race was 192.864 mph, which includes two cautions for 12 laps.